Corner construction for fullfashioned hosiery



. 7, 1942. E. s. SACHSENMAIER ETAL 2,273,145 I CORNER CONSTRUCTION FOR FULL'FASHIONED HOSIERY Filed Jan. :51, 1941 s Sheets-Sheei 1 i5 48 L 49 Q A Q 23 W z I! I n u 2 attorneys Feb. 11, 1942;

A E. s. sAcHsENMAiER ETAL I CORNER CONSTRUCTION FOR FULL-FASHI ONED HOSIERY a 4 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 51, 1941 Zhwentoia fnmuflfiAcnssmmez "Y -Ennu oi BUTLEK Mag;

Feb. 17, 1942.

E S. SACHSENMAIER ETAL CORNER CONSTRUCTION FOR FULL-FASHIONED HOSII IRY Filed Jan. 31, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 N min 39 3nventor3; 9 ERv/N flCHSEHMH/lR- EDMUND J. BUTLEJL' Patented Feb. 17, 1942 CORNER CONSTRUCTION FOR FULL- FASHIONED nosmnr Ervin S. Sacbsenmaier and Edmund J. Bntlen Cordelc, 6a., minors to Maywood Silk Holiery Mills, Inc., Cordcle, 6a., a corporation of Georgia Application January 31, 1941, Serial No. 376,746

12 Claims.

This present invention relates to full fashioned hosiery and especially to an improvement at the junction of the high heel, low heel, and upper sole usually referred to as the comer of the topping line. In full fashioned knitting, it is com mon practice to knit the leg blank on one machine called the legger and transfer this blank to another machine called the footer for the knitting of the foot. The transfer is accom-- plished by an intermediate operation called topping. This operation has in the past required a great amount of skill due to the necessity of properly placing every loop in the topping line on the topping points.

At each end of the topping line there are 1 several reinforced loops which, due to their heavicause a run in this area and impair the usefulness of the stocking.

This looking or selvedging of the reinforced loops is accomplished by transferring said reinforced loops to a wale or wales of the low heel and locking them by the continued knitting of the low heel. The invention also contemplates the transfer of the heel to the reinforced loops in such a manner that continued knitting will lock the reinforced loops of the topping area.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of a lowerportion of a stocking, embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the lower portion 4 of the stocking shown in Figure 1 prior to the looping and seaming operations which are necessary for uniting the edges;

Figure 2A is a sectional view taken along the line 2A2A in Figure 2;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the lower portion 03 the stocking leg and heeltabs prior to the topping operation and placing the same upon a footer forknitting the foot portion thereto to produce a stocking such as shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the construction at the junction of the lower edge of the leg portion and the heel tabs:

Figure 5 is an enlarged view similar to Figure 4, but showing a slightly modified form of construction;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures 4 or 5 showing still another modified form of gore construction;

\ Figure 7 is an enlarged view similar to Figures 4, 5 or 6, showing stillanother modified form of gore construction.

Figure 8 is an enlarged view showing another form of corner construction wherein the unreinforced loops of the leg blank are employed to lock the reinforced loops;

Figure 9 is an enlarged view similar to Figure 8, showing the reinforced area extending below the topping line but locked by means of unreinforced loops;

Figure 10 shows another variation in which there are successive transfers or locking operations employing unreinforced loops as well as reinforced loops.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral l0 broadly designates the lower portion of a full fashioned stocking after it has been completed, This stocking has conventional body or leg portion ll, heel portion l2 and foot portion ll, Usually the leg portion is narrowed as at l5, and the foot portion is narrowed as at it to give the proper shape to the finished stocking.

At the junction point of the leg portion II, the heel portion I2 and the foot portion it, there is a critical point called the gore or corner of the stocking which is designated by the reference character i1. As heretofore stated. much difiiculty has been experienced in the construction at this point, due to the fact that the topping operations have been subject to imperfect work. Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings have been made to show the steps employed in producing the stocking. The leg'portion l is first knitted on the legger machine and upon reaching the lower portion thereof (see Figure 3) an additional re-.

, courses are knitted onto the lower edge of the leg portion forming ravel courses 2i.

Ihese ravel courses are used for facilitating the topping its operation, but after the stocking has been placed upon the toppin machine points, this excess portion 2i is removed.

The leg portion has .knitted integral with the lower edge thereof, spaced heel tabs I2 which likewise have reinforcement 49 therein, and upon the completion of the heel tabs, suitable loose courses 22 are provided near the lower edges for looping these edges together in a subsequent operation to be performed after the stocking blank is completed. Suitable spread sinker wales 23 are also provided along the proximate edgesof the heel tabs. These loose wales,'along with loops in the topping line 2i! are placed upon the topping machine points, thence to the transfer 1 bar and then placed in a machine called a footer,

defects which occur from placing loops having 5 a plurality of strands upon topping points. Also it will be seen by referring to Figure 2A that a flap In is disposed along the edge of each heel tab after the foot portion has beenunited thereto along topping line 22. This flap is normally disposed on the inside of the finished stocking and is employed in the present invention to serve as an edge to which transferred reinforced loops can be attached.

For convenience of description in Figure 4, the

wales of the stocking have been numbered 29 to 93 inclusive, and the courses numbered 94 to 99 inclusive.

The same course and wale numbers.

. leg portion. This same reinforcing usually con- Q tinues throughout the spaced heel tabs, which tabs are knitted onto the leg portion immediately apply also to the modified forms of the invention f shown in Figures 5, 6, l, 8, 9 and10.i It will be noted that the body portion is knit with a single 1' strand or a plurality of strands designated by the reference character whereas the high heel produce a run in the transferred courses, although it might weaken to a slight degree the stocking at this point. p V

Figure 5 illustrates comer construction Ha; which is very similar to Figure 4, except that the reinforcing strand 49 is transferred from walesw-f 29 and 99 at course 39'to wales 21. and 29 at" course 99. The only difference in this form and the preceding form, isthat the reinforcing loops are transferred at a point" several courses after the topping line whereas in the preceding form.

the reinforcing loops are transferred laterally and.v locked in the next succeeding course.

In Figure 6, a corner construction l1b is illustrated. The reinforcing loops of wales 29 and 30 are transferred laterally to a single loop in wale 29 of course 99. This form of construction might bemost desirable in many instances, because it produces a smaller amount of crinkling in the finished fabric; however, the crinkling is ordinarily insufficient for normal detection from the observer's eye, .even .when individual wales received the transferred loops.

Figure 7 shows still another modified form of f the invention i'lc in which the entire heel tab is transferred inwardly. In other words, this type of construction amounts substantially to a. narrowing of the stocking at this point. In any event. the wales 21 and 29 merge into wales 29 and 90 at course 99 thereby causing the wales 29 1 and 39 to be locked in the continued knitting'of' the heel. In the drawings, the high heel of the stocking. I

is shown as beginning at H and as the knitting of this leg portion progresses, the high heel is knitted until the corner or gore of the stockins' has been reached; The high heel portion is formed by knitting a reinforcing strand in the belowthe high heel areas. In the claims the reinforced areas above the topping line 29- are l; referred to 'as the leg portion of the stocking beand heel tabs have the strand 49 supplemented by a reinforcing strand 49. This reinforcing strand is usually disposed throughout the heel tab, and in Figure 4 is shown extending along two wales along topping line 29 into the leg portion beyond the inner edges of the heel tabs. -In

cause of the high heel portion.

Figure 8 shows an enlarged detail lld employing a slightly different means for locking the reinforced loops in wales 29 and 99 at course 99. The drawings show the reinforced loops at these other words, the reinforcing strand in Figure 4 V is disposed in wales 26, 21, 29, 29 and 29: whereas, the heel tab extends only through wale 29, heretofore stated, much dimeulty has been encountered in placing the loops on the toppin points where a reinforcing strand or strandsare employed, because it often results in a split loop which will produce a weak place in the stocking and in many cases producea run.

In the present form of the invention, this difflculty is eliminated by locking the reinforcing loops which extend into the bodyportion of the stock ng the topping line into the adjacent wales of the heel tabs. For example, the reinforcing strand 4' extends through wales 29, 21. 29, 29 and 99 at the course 96. Since the body portion of the stocking leg stops oi! at this course and is topped onto the topping machine, it has been found desirable to transfer the loops in wales 2s and a to wales :1 and a, respectively, in

course 21 of the heel tabs, where they are locked 1 by thecontinued knitting of the heel tab. 'By

points formed from main strand 9 and a reinforcing strand In order to lock these loops, the main or unreinforced strand 4! is knitted independently for one course, below the topping line 29 and upon the succeeding course these independent reinforced loops are transferred into adjacent loops in the heel gusset. In other words,

providing this type of constmction, a split loop during transfer to the loot bar points will not only the unreinforced strand 4! is knitted in wales 29 and 99 at course 91, and at course 99, the unreinforced wales 29 and are locked into wales 21 and 29 during the continued knitting of the stocking blank. I

In Figure 9, an enlarged detail He is, shown employing the same principle employed in Figure 8, because the unrelni'orced loops are employed to lock the reinforced loops by a transfer operation. However, in this form the wales 29 and 20 are reinforced by strand 49 through courses 21 and 99, which courses are disposed below the topping line 29. At course 99. the reinforcing strand 46 is omitted in wales 29 and 29 and at these points, the loops of unreinforced strand 4! are transferred to wales 21 and 29, where they are locked during the continued knitting of the stocking blank.

In Figure 10 an enlarged detail Ill is shown employing successive transfers for locking the reinforced loops at the corner of the hosiery blank.

It is here seen that four wales, namely 29, 30,

reinforced wales 29 and 30, are in turn transferred from course 31 and locked in wales 21 and 28 at course 38 thereby causing all four of the wales 29 and 30, 3| and 32 to be locked in the two wales 21 and 2B of the heel tab at points belo the toppin line.

In the above described variations of the invention, there is a common structural similarity, namely, the locking or selvedging of normally unlocked or unselvedged loops in the leg blank. As previously pointed out, the locking of the unselvedged loops not only reinforces the stocking at the corner, but also eliminates to a large degree, the bad effects of improper transfers. Transfers are necessary to complete a stocking where double unit construction is employed.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descrip tive sense only and not for-purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a full fashioned hosiery blank comprising a leg portion knitted from a plurality of transverse courses, a heel tab knitted from a plurality of relatively short transverse courses onto the leg portion said heel tab being formed by the continuation of the wales of the leg portion and having one edge thereof normally disposed substantially at right angles to the ravel edge whereby coursewise and walewise topping lines can be provided inparallel relation -to the ravel and heel tab edgesrespectively, reinforcing strands interknitted in said leg portion and the heel tabs, said strands extending into adjacent wales on each side of said walewise topping line, some of the reinforced wales between the walewise topedge of the leg portion, said tabs being formed by the continuation of the wales of the leg portion and having the proximate edges thereof substantially parallel thereby forming a corner at the junctions of the heel tab edges and the lower edge of the leg portion.'whereby coursewise and walewise topping lines can be provided in par-- allel relation to the lower edge of the leg portion and heel tab edges respectively, reinforcing strands knitted into said leg and heel portions and extending inwardly in a coursewise direction from the. edge of the blank-through the wales which form said heel tab edges, some of tab edges by means of transferred loops;

4. In a full fashioned stocking blank compris ing a leg portion knitted from a plurality of transverse courses, spaced heel tabs knitted from a plurality of transverse courses onto the lower 1 edge of the leg portion, said tabs being formed by the continuation of the wales of the leg por-' tion and having the proximate edges thereof substantially parallel thereby forming a corner at the junctions of the heel tab edges and the lower edge of the leg portion, whereby coursewise and walewise topping lines can be provided'in parallel relation to the lower edge of the leg portion and heel tab edges respectively, each side of the lower leg portion having a reinforcing strand knitted into said leg and also knitted into the adjacent heel portion and extending inwardly in a. coursewise direction from the edge of the blank beyond the wales which form said heel tab edges, the terminal loops of the. reinforced wales in the leg portion which are adjacent the inner edges of the heel tabs edges being \transferred and locked in adjacent wales along said heel tab edges, in a subsequent course knitted below the coursewise topping line.

5. In a full fashioned stocking blank comprising a leg portion knitted from a plurality of 1 transverse courses, spaced heel tabs knitted from tially parallel thereby forming a corner at the junctions of the heel tab edges and the lower edge relation to the lower edge of the leg portion and ping line and said heel tab edge being connected by transferred loops to adjacent wales at a course below said ravel edge topping line.

2. In a full fashioned hosiery blank comprising a leg portion knitted from a plurality of transverse courses, a heel tab knitted from a plurality of relatively short transverse courses onto the leg portion said heel tab being formed by the continuation of the wales of the leg portion and having one edge thereof normally disposed substantially at right angles to the ravel edge, whereby coursewise and walewise topping lines can be provided in parallel relation to the ravel and heel tab edges respectively, some'ofthe wales between the walewise topping line and said heel'tab edge heel tab edges respectively, each of said leg and heel portions having a reinforced strand knitted thereinto and extending'in a coursewise direction from the edge of the blank beyond the wales which form said heel tab edges, terminal loops of the reinforced wales in the leg portion which are disposed inwardly beyond the heel tab edge being transferred outwardly and locked in one of the wales'along the heel tab edge. 6. Full fashioned hosiery construction, comprisv ing a leg portion, a heel tab attached to the leg portion thereby forming a corner at the junction of the edge of the leg portion and the heel tab edge, and transferred terminal loops connecting said edges at said comers.

'7. Full fashioned hosiery construction comprising a leg portion, spaced heel tabs knitted onto the leg portion, thereby forming corners at the junctions of the unselvedge'd edge of the leg portion and the proximate selvedged edges of the tabs, some of the loops of the unselvedged edge being locked along the heel tab edges.

8. Ina full fashioned stockingblank comprising a leg portion knitted from a plurality of transverse courses, spaced heel tabs knitted from a plurality of transverse courses onto the lower edge of the leg portion, said tabs being formed by the continuation of the wales and the le portion and having the proximate edges thereof ubstantially parallel thereby forming a corner at the junctions of the heel tab edges and the lower edges of the leg portion, each side of said leg portion and each heel tabs comprising a body strand and a reinforcing strand at each of said comers, a reinforced stepped area abridging each of said corners, said area being formed by extending knitted courses inwardly beyond the proximate edges of the heel tabs and below the lower edge of the leg portion, the loop along the unselvedged edge of the stepped area being locked by the transfer of the loops to the heel tab.

9. In a full fashioned stocking blank comprising a leg portion knitted from a plurality of 1 body strand and a reinforcing strand at each of said comers, the loops formed from the combined strands at each corner along the unselvedged edge of the leg portion being locked to said heel tabs, by means of a plurality of suecessive transfers.

10. Full fashioned hosiery construction comprising a leg portion, spaced heel tabs knitted onto the lower edge of the leg portion, reinforcing strands knitted into each side of the lower leg portion. the terminal loops of the lower leg portion adjacent the inner edges of the heel tabs being transferred to the heel tabs.

11. In a. full fashioned stocking blank comprising a leg portion knitted from a plurality of transverse courses, spaced heel tabs knitted from a plurality of transverse courses onto the lower edge of the leg portion, said tabs being formed by the continuation of the wales oi the leg portion and having the proximate edges thereof substantially parallel, thereby forming a comer at the junctions of the heel tab edges and the lower edge of the leg portion, and transferred loops connecting the terminal loops of the leg portion and the adjacent inner edges of the heel tabs.

12. Full fashioned hosiery construction comprising a leg, portion, spaced heel tabs knitted onto the leg portion thereby forming corners at the junctions of the unselvedged edge of the le portion, and the proximate selvedged edges of the tabs, said leg portion and heel tabs comprising a body strand and a reinforcing strand for each side of the leg portion and each heel tab, the loops formed'from the combined strands along the unselvedged edge of the leg portion being interlocked with adjacent wales of the heel tabs by transferred loops at a course below said unselvedged edge.

ERVIN S. SACHSENMAIER. EDMUND J. BUTLER. 

